


Fragmented Memories

by KazueEmiko



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bartenders, Confusion, F/F, False Memories, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Slow Burn, Students
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21641716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: It has been six months since university student Rem Tokimiya experienced pieces of memories that aren't hers. Memories that showcased another version of her battling in a war against the Milites Empire and under the flag of Rubrum. Despite going to a therapist for two months, the young woman has difficulty coping with them. A trip to a bar near her dormitory not only provides her a sense of relief but also meeting someone that she had seen in her memories as a lover...
Relationships: Ace (Final Fantasy Type-0)/Machina Kunagiri, Deuce (Final Fantasy Type-0)/Rem Tokimiya, Nine/Queen (Final Fantasy Type-0)
Kudos: 13





	Fragmented Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know much about alcohol, so do excuse if there aren't many accurate descriptions on this subject matter. The second part should come out soon! Felt it was unfair to leave it as one part only. :)

Memories are fragile and sensitive. No one could ever tell what’s fake and what’s real with them. It didn’t help that they were easy to manipulate and alter. Yet sometimes, it could serve as an important breakthrough in a relationship, even if it is beyond human understanding.

“I… sometimes feel like I have these memories…”

“Memories?”

“Like… it’s from someone else.”

The psychiatric doctor cladded in all white continued to write on the clipboard, his eyes never leaving the document. Seated across his stool was a young lady no older than 21. Her shoulder-length brown hair gently drooped over her shoulder and piercing red eyes were clouded with doubt. The college student intertwined her fingers. With every breath she took, the tip of her thumbs would tap upon one another in synchronization. The scratching pen came to a cessation. Ace raised his head, his eyes unfaltering.

“You still have them?”

A pause. Then, a hesitant nod. “Yes.”

It has been two months since Rem Tokimiya became his patient. The young man tapped the end of his utensil upon the sturdy clipboard, his eyes locked on the woman.

“Tell me, have you tried writing them down?”

Rem leaned forward from the rickety wooden chair.

“Excuse me?”

Ace moistened his lower lip. He glanced down to his scribbled notes, then back up again at his patient. A smile graced his lips as he spoke with crystal clear intonation, “Thoughts, places, experiences… Anything that has to do with your recurring, lucid dreams, memories, and flashbacks. Have you tried writing them down?”

“I’ve tried to, but…” she shifted her gaze elsewhere. “It didn’t work out.”

“How so?”

“It’s scary.”

“Could you elaborate on that?”

“…”

Every single time she closed her eyes, if her mind wasn’t filled with mundane life activities and plans, she would recall the traumatic scenes. A shudder ran down her spine as Rem reclined back on the furniture, her arms tightly crossed. No ordinary college student with one of the most ordinary life would ever understand the consequences of war.

It started off as a minor nuisance approximately half a year ago. While studying for her journalism course in her bedroom, an abrupt flashback tore into her memory bank.

Scenes of a gruesome conflict aroused and floated to the surface. Rem found herself dressed in a black and vermillion school uniform. When she looked down at her hands, she observed two blood-tainted daggers in her bruised grip. The roaring flames overwhelmed her auditory sense as Rem raised her head. She wasn’t alone. Rem felt a sense of fear and animosity towards military soldiers dressed in attires similar to a white tiger. Almost as if someone commanded her to, the cadet had raised her blades, her eyes narrowed.

She was ready to attack them— No, she was ready to kill them.

That was all she recalled though. The flashback came to a screeching halt and Rem returned to reality. Rem blinked, her breath had quickened, and perspirations formed on her forehead. A quick glance around told her that she was safe in her private dormitory.

_‘ What was that about? ‘_

It was a bit too vivid for her to call it off as a hallucination nor daydream, yet she did not think to delve any more upon the matter. There was no reason to. She had her life to live! Rem needed to chase after her dream of becoming a world-renowned journalist, unafraid of the stories she will be writing about, and exposing the truth about corruption.

Though what was bothersome was the fact that she didn’t feel a sense of terror during the aftermath. It almost felt as if it were all so natural. Just as if it were a part of the natural order. The fact that this version of herself was out to kill didn’t bother her as much as she anticipated. Rem had shaken off the pondering and settled with a simple explanation: it was just a dream and it is all a fantasy. Not like it was going to show up again, right?

Oh, how wrong she was.

For six long months, the dreams in her sleep and the memories of another “Rem” muddled into her life. The perverse tranquility that she gains from relinquishing in the death of the so-called Milites soldiers… The fact that she’s fighting for her comrades in an organization called “Class Zero”… The special someone that she valiantly fought to protect in times of war without remorse for the scared enemies of Concordia… That was what terrified her.

It almost paints her as a psychopath, doesn’t it?

Rem bit her lip and could not find the courage to look at the silent Ace.

“…”

It would be best she didn’t drop that vital piece of information. She wanted to at least save whatever little dignity she had left before Ace. The patient doctor allowed his client to sit in pure silence for a solid minute before shooting a glance at the wall clock.

30 minutes had passed. Today’s session is now over.

Ace felt his brows arch upward. He wished he could sit with Rem for eternity and pinpoint the most effective form of coping with this strange disorder or ailment that descended upon the young woman. This is the first he has ever heard from all of the clients he had acted as a therapist since last year. Her case is fascinating and tragic. Nevertheless, he had other patients. It’s unfortunate that a day is constrained to a mere 24 hours. It’s even more unfortunate that her appointments are only on Fridays.

He rose from his stool and offered a hand to Rem. “If writing doesn’t help, I suggest that you find someone to confide in. Since you’ve mentioned your friends wouldn’t understand… and you don’t have a family either… Perhaps someone like your lover?”

She accepted his hand after a “thanks” and softly smiled. “Doctor Ace, I hope you understand that I haven’t fallen in love yet.”

“Ah… I apologize. One might’ve presumed that you were already taken.”

“That might not fare well for my love life.”

“Don’t mind me,” Ace chuckled and walked her out of his office. “My observations about a person’s romantic lifestyle aren’t exactly… precise as I would want it to be.”

“Says the person who got married to his assistant.”

“Oof… You had to poke me there, didn’t you?”

“She’s right, you know.” Machina Kunagiri, sitting in the front desk with two other office workers, smirked as he clicked the telephone back to its place. He swirled on the rolling chair and heeded all his attention to the duo. The smirk still in place, the young man pointed his thumb at Ace. “Too bad the only thing he knows well about love is our love life.”

“Machina…”

“He’s really sweet with me. Too bad his love radar is broken beyond repair.”

“Machina.”

“Did I ever tell you about the story of when he mistakenly thought his patients were married in the lounge here?”

Rem shook her head. Ace, on the other hand, began to feel his face light up. As for the other two office workers… King and Tiz’s ears perked up. They didn’t hesitate to join right into the conversation as Machina began his storytelling.

“They were seated right next to each other. I’m not going to drop their names for the sake of patient privacy, but a year ago, when Ace was still green, he had to personally call in one of his clients into the room.”

The newly-hired staff, King, deeply hummed. “Where were you and Tiz?”

“We were busy,” the young lady murmured in her usual whisper-like tone. “It was a full-house that day.”

“Precisely,” Machina pointed up in the air. “But this doctor decided to let a silly remark slip out of his mouth.”

“MACHINA.”

“He said, ‘ Oh, are you both wives? She can come in too. ‘ “

“Oh my gosh…” Rem widened her eyes and turned to Ace. Ace immediately turned his head while a deep shade of red discolored his cheeks. “Why would you say that?”

“He thought he could get friendly with the patient, but it turns out that he embarrassed them both in front of everyone.” Suddenly, Machina broke out laughing, his hands resting on his stomach as he threw his head up. “Hahaha! I… I couldn’t believe it! Sice— I mean, one of the patients immediately punched him in the gut moments later when it was her turn after Sev— the patient was finished!”

“Sounds like one heck of a scene.”

“It was, King! It was! And you want to know what the best part was?”

“What?” Rem and King collectively questioned. The doctor’s assistant could hardly contain his laughter and blurted, “They actually got together afterward! They’re married now!”

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

As Machina was trying to keep himself from falling apart, Tiz shook her head. “I’m surprised they even invited us…” she continued to mumble under her breath as she resumed her work. It was at this point when Ace motioned for Rem to leave, much to her dismay. Then again, just like her with the session, Ace wanted to save whatever dignity he had left for the student.

After sending their farewells and entering the office’s elevator, Rem could hear a loud slap from the background. It was immediately accompanied by a loud “Ow!” from Machina right when the elevator’s metallic doors closed shut. Sweat flew from Rem’s head as she muttered, “Lover’s quarrel.”

\-----

The sky had drastically darkened since her time inside of the medical office. Since she was a student, most of her classes were during the day, which left her available during the late evenings for other plans. Standing right outside of the tall building, Rem adjusted her jacket’s collar and loudly exhaled. A thin, cool mist puffed from her mouth as the rain continued to pour upon the city.

_‘ Drats, it’s raining hard. ‘_

Unfortunately, she had forgotten her umbrella. Then again, she had no one to blame but herself for this. Rem had every opportunity to check her smartphone and determine the upcoming weather. Today was the day she chose not to. The student dug her hands into her pockets, shook her head, grumbled under her breath, and proceeded to walk back to her dormitory. She might as well bear with the wet weather.

Or so it seems. Neon lights colored the wet pavements, Rem finding herself standing in front of a bar. It was located at the corner of the block by her residence. However, despite its convenient location near the school-owned dormitories, plenty of other bars and shops nearby concealed its existence almost entirely. Many customers have passed by this lone bar in favor of others for this very reason. If anything, it might as well not exist.

“…”

She wasn’t sure what drove her to stay out later than necessary, but… perhaps it’s because of the discomforting sensation that nags her about these memories that don’t belong to her. At least to the Rem here right now. The Rem that had nothing to do with fighting or participating in any sort of war. She huffed. Besides, it was a young Friday night and, rather than scuttle to the safety of her bedroom, there was a temptation to grab a couple of drinks. The stress was getting to her head, and she needed a moment for herself.

“…”

Rem lowered her head. She contemplated, but not for long. Head still down, the young student entered the bar that is named “Orience.”

A bell softly rang out to signal its newest customer with a single push of the door. Darkness shrouded Rem’s vision upon taking a step into the drunken abyss, save it for the gentle orange lamps that emitted throughout the premise. She blinked a couple of times until her sight adjusted. The aspiring journalist scanned her surroundings.

No one. Absolutely no one. She slowly took a seat at the bar, her hands brushing the smooth wooden countertop. (Surprising how it isn’t dusty with the lack of customers.) Another glance around and still no sign of a visitor. Could it be that Rem came in during the slowest time of the night?

Her red eyes flickered past the counter. Countless bottles of varying sizes, colors, and types of drinks were present to the clients. Unlike the numerous bars nearby that she frequents, this bar didn’t have an impressive number of wines to choose from. It didn’t help that all of the selections had brands and names she’s never heard of.

_‘ Could they be imported? ‘_

Rem tapped her finger in response to the limited selection. Not that she was picky in the first place anyhow. She skimmed around once more. Aside from the bottles and simplistic decorations, there was still no one behind the counter.

“Um…”

Rem didn’t have to voice her concern for long as two individuals walked up from the basement to her left. Rather loudly, that is, with the stomping from one particular staff. Bright white light emitted from the corner of the room as they made it ground level. A male with a scar over his nose loudly complained and swung the mop in the air as a female by his side tried to dodge his reckless swings.

“Just what does Mother think!?” he barked. “Why do I have to clean up the guy’s mess!?”

“I think you’re more suited for the job…” the young lady shook her head. “Nine, you’re also a guy. I can’t enter the male’s restroom in the first place.”

“Ugh, what are ya gonna do without me then, huh? You know you gotta clean up some mess too from the men’s side.”

“I’ll think about it when the time comes.”

“Oh yeah? Look, if you ain’t a cutie and someone I treat like a little sister, Deuce, then I would’ve outright rejected ya—”

Deuce immediately bopped his arm and silenced him. Then, without giving him a chance to recover, ushered him to the direction where the restrooms are located. His voiced complaints were audible, yet she ignored him. It wasn’t long until the brunette hurried over to the counter and greeted their only customer.

“Welcome to Orience,” the petite female smiled. She started to clean her hand at the nearby sink as she continued, “What can I get for you?”

That… was quite a switch. Rem had witnessed their banters and now faced a polite version of the bartender. At least she’s finally getting some service. The college student tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and parted her lips. When her eyes laid upon the brunette once again, Rem felt her heart nearly skip a beat, the inside of her mouth immediately becoming dry.

“You…”

“?”

Rem had to hold herself back from grabbing the bartender’s hands. Instead, she bit on her lower lip and dryly swallowed. The memories that haunt her of another life… of another Rem… She remembered. There was another person that was always by her side in them. From another life where she was a cadet, there was a person that looked exactly like this bartender. They were strikingly similar in a physical and vocal sense. Rem curled her hands into fists. Then, in a frail voice, asked,

“Tell me… What is your name…?”

The brunette blinked.

“Call me Deuce.”

Heartbeat.

The same name.

It was the same exact name.

Deuce…

**Deuce.**

Rem felt cold sweat running down the side of her face. Another memory was triggered with the same Rem sitting in the cafeteria. By her side, a girl named Deuce conversed with the black magus, her hands clasped together in cheery disposition. The conversations were riddled with plenty of gossips and of happier tales for a brighter future. They would eventually intertwine their fingers and hold each other’s hand, the flutist’s soft palm impressed upon the other’s. It was a blissful moment that managed to wiggle its way into the present Rem.

“Miss? Are you okay?”

The college student jerked from instinct. When she raised her eyes, she saw the female bartender again. Between the two women, there was a drink. Rem didn’t have to open her mouth to get her answer. Deuce motioned at the alcoholic beverage.

“Sazerac just for you.” Rem nearly choked from her own spit. Sazerac…? That’s a terribly expensive drink around this area! It might be cheaper elsewhere, but from this part of the city, the price for most alcoholic beverages can skyrocket by tenfold. She felt her fingers grow cold and numb in a desperate attempt to dig into her purse. Her reaction elicited an amused giggle from the worker. Deuce reached out to tap on Rem’s trembling arm. “It’s on the house.”

“…” Rem narrowed her eyes. “A-Are… you sure your boss is okay with this…?”

“It’s okay if I’m the one paying it.”

That was rather nice of the bartender. It was a bit sudden, but if it’s free, how could Rem refuse? Not to mention that it was already made by Deuce. The aspiring journalist weakly smiled and brought the drink close to her.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Deuce returned a similar feature. “I wanted to turn your frown upside down. It doesn’t look good on your beautiful face.”

“?!”

Rem nearly spat out the beverage. She struggled to keep a coughing fit from erupting and smoothed her throat downward a few times with fast motions. Did the bartender just compliment her on her looks? It seems abnormally familiar as if a good friend or lover uttered those words to her. Heat crawled onto Rem’s cheeks as the ice clattered in the held glass cup. It appears that the reaction was amusing to Deuce, the aproned worker stifling her laughter.

“I apologize if I’ve made you choke. I’ll refrain from saying any more unnecessary remarks.”

Deuce turned her back towards the only customer in Orience and began to organize the glass cups. The sink quietly ran its water, an occasional clang and clatter produced from the washing of said cups. Rem kept a steady observation of the brunette as she attended to her responsibilities. Times when their eyes met caused Deuce to flash a smile in her direction. This made Rem grumble even more under her breath as she tipped the cup up.

_‘ She’s cute… ‘_

Despite the memories that pointed out Deuce’s identity and her role in the other world, their exchanges were brief and held almost no weight. The student hardly proposed topics to talk about. The bartender was kept busy and tried to engage in small talks. A bit of time had passed and Deuce would offer a wide variety of drinks based on Rem’s requests. Bubbly drinks, Feminine drinks, Classy drinks, and Strong drinks. Deuce managed to sate the female’s taste buds from the provided categories.

Of course, that came at a cost. Rem was beginning to get drunk, her eyelids starting to flutter here and there, and the glow that emits from her cheeks. Deuce allowed an amused huff to slip past her lips when she ushered a glass of water to the student.

“Why is it that no one comes to this bar?” Rem asked after taking another sip from her water. “None of my classmates ever talk about it. Heck, not even Trey talks about it.”

“It’s because of the expensive products we have in store.”

“Expensive? Like… how expensive?”

“Hm… a few hundred dollars.”

“What?!”

Deuce chuckled and stored one of the wine bottles back to its original place. “That’s why none of your friends speak about this place. We only attract customers rich enough to afford a glass.”

“What’s the cheapest drink you got?”

“Hm… the Draft Beer, but we charge it at 50 bucks.”

“Why is it so expensive still?”

“I would like to say that it’s because we make everything from scratch and used the best ingredients we can import it from, but…” The brunette shrugged her shoulders. “It would be best to ask Mother about it.”

“Mother?” Rem raised a brow. “Your mom owns this place?”

Deuce immediately waved her hand and shook her head. “No, that’s just how we call our boss here. Her real name is Arecia Al-Rashia.”

“Why the title Mother then?”

“Hm…” she finally leaned an elbow on the counter and hummed. “Probably because she looks after both Nine and I when we were in middle school.”

“Did something happen to your family?”

“They died.”

“Oh…” Even in her drunken state, Rem cursed at herself for asking an insensitive question. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve gotten over it. Not that I remember much about them anyway.”

The topic of Deuce’s family immediately dropped and was switched with senseless conversations again. They were weightless. But, thanks to Rem’s intoxicated state, the aspiring journalist poured out more of her feelings than she would’ve to a bartender.

“You ever got memories that you’ve never experienced before?”

“No, I haven’t. Did you?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I got them. I have too many of them, actually.”

“If it helps, I can listen to your story.”

And Rem did. She opened up about everything from her lingering memories. The memories of being in a war against the Milites Empire, having lost her parents, being severely ill in the fantasy world, and many more. Rem even blurted out about how she didn’t feel like it was unnatural. Rather, those repressed memories acted as if they were a part of her all along. It was as if she actually underwent these situations in a past life.

The student laid on her arms with a drowsy expression. When she glanced at the bartender, she felt the corner of her lips curl upward.

“You know, you’re nice, Deuce.”

“?”

“You didn’t judge me for saying all of this.”

Deuce had gotten herself a drink of her own and lightly sipped on the Cosmopolitan. The young woman smiled and looked downward.

“What kind of bartender would I be if I didn’t hear out my clients? There are many reasons as to why people would come here and drink. The closest person they can trust in is the bartender themselves to dump their woos and woes.”

“I doubt any of them would say something as crazy as I did, right?”

“You’d be surprised,” the brunette laughed. “One time, I had an office worker who came in and told me that he was the chosen one to save the world from extinction.”

“How did that go?”

“He got arrested shortly afterward for disturbing the general public.”

“Yikes. That didn’t work out well for him.”

“I didn’t…”

The laughter continued. However, their light-hearted atmosphere eventually dissipated when Rem abruptly stood up from her stool. She leaned against the counter and cupped the bartender’s face. This took Deuce by surprise and even more so when Rem whispered,

“Did I ever tell you that the Rem in my memories fell in love with a Deuce like you?”

“Fweh?!”

Deuce felt beads of sweat fly out of her head as her client’s thumbs tenderly rubbed her cheeks. This was getting out of character, this was getting out of character, this was getting out of character! Usually, the young staff would shoot an uppercut to the drunkard and send them spiraling away. All it took was a single punch to the jaw. If it didn’t work, there was always Nine or Mother Arecia that she could call. Their methods were far harsher than hers… which sometimes led to the customer(s) in dire need of an ER visit at the hospital. She squirmed in Rem’s grasps, yet could not bring herself to hit the student.

It wasn’t because she was a girl. Deuce had smacked plenty of women that dared to hit on her too. Why couldn’t she do so with this one?

She was frozen in spot, the heat rising to the top of her head, Rem’s face way too close to hers. Deuce’s sight would find itself staring at the journalist’s lips. Those smooth, pink flesh that seems enticing upon further examination. The brunette’s mouth became dry as Rem mumbled,

“It feels like we were fated to see each other again… and fall in love.”

And… thankfully, Rem was knocked unconscious by a sleeping spell. Deuce, maintaining the woman’s weight, slowly lowered her customer’s upper body to the counter. A step back showed a student peacefully lulled into a dreamlike realm.

“…”

It was only the first night and first time they’ve met, yet here they are, an encounter that Deuce has yet to ever face with. She lightly scratched her own cheek.

_‘ Great… What should I do now? ‘_

“GOD, that was HORRIBLE.” Nine’s voice boomed in the background, and it only got louder once he popped out of the restroom. His attires were slightly stained with unknown yellow substances and the smell had clung to parts of his uniform. Resentment scrawled all over his face as he marched over to Deuce. “PLEASE, let’s not serve that customer anymore. He really did a number on the toilet.”

He didn’t get too far with his rambles the instant he spotted the sleeping Rem. Both of his brows were raised at the peculiar sight.

“Yo… she’s sleeping?”

“Yep.”

“Um, don’t you think you should be waking her up?”

“Doesn’t seem like she will.”

“Have you tried?”

“No, but I could tell. She’s not even waking up to your stench.”

“Ugh… I really need to take a shower in the basement… You think Mother will let me use it?”

“I think you have no choice but to do so. Mother down there won’t be pleased with you making her office smell too.”

“Right… Anyway, we should close up the shop soon,” he motioned with the tainted mop. “Not like we’ll be getting any more customers after this one.”

Nine left the two females alone by the bar. Now that they were alone, Deuce sighed.

 _‘ I can’t just leave you here… ‘_ A quick search through Rem’s purse for an ID showed the address to her dormitory. Deuce immediately recognized it thanks to the close proximity from this bar and the building structure. Another glance was spared at the dozed student. The brunette stiffened her lips. _‘ Guess I can take her back home. I… still have some questions I have for her, but that could be for tomorrow. ‘_

Their first encounter was definitely that of a strange one, but it planted a seed of interest for Deuce. Though Rem had battled with the memories of her past life or alternate version, this was a first for the bartender. The least she could do is learn more about Rem and discover what she meant by having fallen for her.


End file.
